Anne Bradstreet’s Family Witch Trials: The Dark Side of Colonial History

The Summer Jane Austen Fell In Love

What if Jane Austen’s love life was far more dramatic and hopeful than history books ever admitted? On Hidden Heroines of History, Gayvin Powers and Clare Draycott dig into Jane Austen July, and review Six Weeks by the Sea by Paula Byrne—a fresh Austen-inspired read full of wit, romance, and historical intrigue. Join the conversation and rediscover the women, stories, and subtext hiding in plain sight.EDUACATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.

The Untold Fear Behind America’s First Poet

In a quiet moment of uncertainty, Anne Bradstreet wrote a poem to her unborn child, preparing for a future she might never see. Join Gayvin Powers and Clare Draycott as Hidden Heroines explores this deeply personal work—and the unexpected turn her family’s story would later take in colonial New England. A moving reflection on motherhood, legacy, and how quickly hope can give way to hardship. EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.

Anne Bradstreet's Poetic Irony

They came to the New World seeking freedom and stability and—but what happens when that promise turns against you? Join Gayvin Powers and Clare Draycott as Hidden Heroines explores Anne Bradstreet’s family, whose story reveals a striking irony: after building respected lives in colonial America, her children were forced to flee under the shadow of witchcraft accusations. A powerful glimpse into hope undone by fear. Educational Purposes Only.

Andover Witch Trails Worse than Salem

When witch trails went after the first Colonial poet's family. On Hidden Heroines of History, host Gayvin Powers and Clare Draycott uncover the chilling story that outpaced Salem in cruelty, fear, and fallout—where lives were twisted by suspicion and nearly buried Anne Bradstreet's family. EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.

Anne Bradstreet - Colonial Witch Hunt - Part 2

This Fourth of July, celebrate the legacy of America’s first published poet. In Season Two’s opening episode of Hidden Heroines, host Gayvin Powers and guest Clare Draycott continue their exploration of Anne Bradstreet, whose words helped shape the early Colonial identity. Through one of her most tender poems about her children, a deeper and more unsettling story unfolds: those same children would later face accusations of witchcraft. How does a respected family become a suspect overnight? This episode explores legacy and the fragile line between admiration and suspicion in colonial New England society. EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.